Shadowed History
by Project X
Summary: Just imagine if you had screwed up your first attempt at a life. It's what I did! I regret the mistakes I've made, but now I have a second chance. That second chance is here in 1470 Italy. I never thought time travel could be so painful or that the past held so many secrets. As an Assassin from 2011, I have a duty to set things right! M; for language. Pre-AC 2 -Hiatus-
1. Death

**Author's Note:** _This story takes place from 1470-1520 and the main characters from the game are Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Auditore, and Ezio. You'll see why as you read. I'm also doing historical and game research for this; I hope you don't get confused too much. If you have any questions or comments please don't be afraid to say something, I hope you enjoy!_

**Edited Notes: **_Here is the edited version of this chapter! The original was written in 2011 and the edited version was written in 2012. I've learned to work harder and set better goals now, so I should get much farther on this story. This is in honor of AC 3! __May the Father of Understanding Piss on the Templar's Heads and blame it on their wives!_

_Aren't I so civil? Enjoy!_

**-X-**

_"Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness."__**-**_**Leonardo da Vinci**

_"There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other. And on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of."_ **-Giovanni Auditore**

**-X-**

**"Shadowed History"**

**Prologue: **_"Death"_

October 3rd, 2011. New York City, 9 PM.

I never thought I'd ever slip. I was born to free run; I had been doing parkour since I was a kid. It felt almost as if it had come naturally to me, while the other kids couldn't even walk, I could scale short walls. But now I knew I was falling. Falling hard and falling fast. _The metaphorical story of my life._

I felt the scenery whoosh past me like a car on a ninety mile limit highway. But, as I fell, I could only think about how I should have stuck the landing. I should have leaped, pushing my legs down harder; I shouldn't have jumped from roof to roof while it was raining. That last one was obvious, but I was reckless beyond belief. Or maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't have left my dad alone at home. Maybe I should have went with my mom when she left us, maybe I should have joined _The Order_ like my dad asked of me, instead of running away.

But, what's done is done, as they say. So it didn't matter how I could have prevented the slip up, but that I didn't, and that I was in-fact falling from a ten foot building in the middle of The Big Apple. God, I felt so stupid!

Thoughts of joining my cousin; Jasmine flashed before my eyes. My cousin had been inducted because Abstergo had been after her, _poor girl_. It was bound to happen. The deference between us was our attitudes and who our dads were. In the long run though, the only real difference is that she had the balls and the brains to do the job. I flipped Fate off and spat in her face instead, for that I got the lifelong penalty of _'what ifs' _and _'maybes'_. I also got eternal loneliness.

The Ash brothers, mine and Jasmine's dads back in the good 'ol days, had been once heralded as great Assassins, until one ran from _The Brotherhood_ and hid himself, along with his family, in the backwoods of Texas. A dumbass move if you ask me, but I have no room to talk. My dad, however, remained a loyal member to The Brotherhood and told me about The Order and trained me to be an Assassin himself. Jasmine knew nothing about it, since she was raised a sheltered life, and wasn't even really trained like I was. Yet she jumped at the idea of becoming an Assassin when offered, thinking it would be an exciting adventure. _Pft_, exciting adventure my ass!

I, however, refused. To tell the truth, I thoroughly refused. I took the offer and threw it back in their faces like dirt, even after years of training.

I knew the rules, you obey _The Creed_ or else you get kicked out and banished, or some bullshit like that, then Abstergo has their way with you if they catch you. Damn Templar scum! _"Screw that!" _I had said, refusing my father after all the hard work he had gone through to fully train me and raise me to be a member of The Order. I ran away from the Denver base after that, to New York City, and I became a free running delivery girl for _'The Underground'_ and _'Anarchy'_. Two major groups of cults, rouge assassins, hitmen, mafia, and gangsters. There were plenty of them in the NYC, more than plenty. I was always lousy with business, sometimes I ended up in situations that were way over my head! I had become the best and fastest of all of New York's illegal delivery services _quickly_. I feel so dirty about it now, giving kids illegal guns? I felt like some guerrilla, and not the kind you'd find in zoos.

I could beat my cousin any day! The little-…..gah! I hated her so much!

But the thing was, I wasn't supposed to slip.

While running a last minute delivery it began to rain, and bad. Pouring down like cats and dogs! But as arrogant as I am I believed I could run the route anyway. As I jumped to the next building I grabbed the metal railing from an overlook on an apartment building and then..._I slipped_. The metal lost its friction under my grip and my grasp was lost under the touch of rain drops. I kept trying to reach out and grasp it again, but it was too late.

My fingers, one by one, slipped off the metal as rain and water pelted me like freezing cold stones, it stung more than I thought it would. Now I was falling.

Darkness pressed in all around me, taking away all color as I focused on nothing but the fall, as wind flew from my lungs. It felt like something sucked out my last breathe. I closed my eyes as I felt gravity at my back, pulling me down, like Death's hands pulling you into the never ending Abyss. Millions of things ran through my mind, the _'what if's'_ I had been talking about, '_how comes'_, and _'why me's?'_. But, really all I was thinking was...-

_"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"_ The words screeched from my lungs like an Eagle's cry even though I could not breathe. It seemed impossible, but my will had always been strong, now so was my fear. Fear swallowed me up whole, the fear I had been holding back and suppressing since day one. Tears streamed through my pinched shut eyelids. I could feel the salty drops rush from my cheeks and up into the air as I fell.

Only through such an experience did I realize I regretted most of the decisions I had made in my life. Too many promises I had broken; too many people I had hurt through my arrogance. I regretted every second of it! I missed my dad! I missed my dog; _Altair_. I missed my mom, and I still loved her, even though she left my dad and me. I missed my cousin, and I know I don't hate her, I'm just so jealous of her! Why didn't I say yes? Why did I leave the base? I even missed the crazy guy they called The Keeper down in the Denver Assassin Storage Temple! Yes, that was indeed saying something!

I just wished I could have a second chance! I really really really wished I could have a second chance, even though I didn't deserve one!

Just then everything went white. I opened my eyes to see why when all I saw was lightning. Right in front of me a blue streak of lightning was stopped, an inch from my face, as if time was paused. It zig zagged all the way up into the dark abysmal sky. Everything else around me looked like an old Internet Explorer loading screen. White was just, _everything_. The only color came from the streak of lightning two inches away from my nose and the clouds above.

_**"Abide by The Creed, Assassin, and you will live."**_

It was a beautiful melancholy voice that spoke to me, flowing like a river, and distant like a star. As I stared at what I perceived to be my death, the blue streak, ready to smite me, I listened to such a sweet and angelic voice. I listened like I should have when I was twelve and my dad told me not to touch the stove when it was on. I still had the scar from after that. I saw no one however, all I knew is it sounded like a woman, so feminine and beautiful. Maybe it was an omnipotent being, maybe God was a woman?

"I-I p-promise." I stuttered as if I had forgotten how to use my tongue, really it felt as if my body was being penetrated by a thousand needles as I spoke. As the woman spoke and as time lingered; the more it felt like the blood was draining out of my body, everything going numb. My lungs burned and my mouth was beyond dry, like a desert with no oxygen. If I was dreaming or if I was already dead then there was no reason to fear speaking to an illusion, not that I really cared about my sanity right now. There was also no reason to question it. Is it God? Doesn't really matter to me. Could be Hades for all I care!

_**"If you fail to keep your promises you will be doomed to repeat your regrets. Follow the path, Assassin, and you will live. How long is up to you to decide. Choose wisely."**_

Then, as the beautiful voice finished, time un-paused. The blue streak of lightning struck me head on before I could even blink. My body flailing like a fish as it did. I guess God believed me, how odd. Well, then again, I didn't lie. I'm pretty sure God could tell if I was lying or not. Before I could even blink, pain flowed through my body. Pain that I thought never existed covered me from head to toe. The electric currents didn't numb anything, but they were tearing my nerves apart with fire instead. If I could breathe I would have never stopped screaming. Matter of fact; I'm pretty sure I did scream, I just wasn't aware of it. You don't really think when your body feels like its being roasted from the inside out.

Waves of those electric currents flowed through my body like waves into a river. My nerves were so on fire; it was blazing like the fire of a great building, destroying everything in sight. The pain was so bad I really couldn't even think, I could only feel. At that moment I had no idea where I was, when I was, or who I was. In that blink of a moment in time I was nothing but the thought of pain.

The next thing I know my body drops from nowhere, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting from a ten story fall. I splash into a puddle on what felt like solid concrete ground. Oxygen rushes and fills my lungs again like air into a balloon. I breathe in greedily, thinking if I didn't get enough oxygen into my lungs I'd die right then and there. My body is still in great pain, I can't move an inch, my muscles so tense their like stretched out stone. Now at least I can feel the other things around me, if only a little bit.

My eyes are still closed as I begin to scream, I scream suddenly and I don't know why. A belated effect maybe, from earlier when I thought I was screaming. I screamed so loud and so long though, my throat became raw and I could once again not breathe. It was a horrible cycle, when I could breathe I screamed, I screamed until I couldn't breathe, and so on. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop it, not one bit. It was like my brain had crashed and this was the after math of that wreck.

Tears slid down my face again as I failed to even move when I tried to. All I wanted was for the pain to end and the screaming to stop. It was a while, a while of me wishing on bated and raw breath, that all the pain would leave my body. I prayed that it would stop, I even wished on it really hard, but it was a while before I even stopped screaming. If Hell was worse than this, than I felt bad for the sorry bastards that were down there. We Assassins though, whether I was one or not, we grew up not believing in any religion. But, hey, you gotta believe in something, right?

Before another tear, or prayer, could roll down my cheek or come from my mouth I began to hear something. Through the rain I heard a man running. I tracked it in my mind like I had been trained to do. When you listen to someone walk or run, you can get a good idea of how strong or well-trained they are, that is if you know how to spot the details. This man, if it was a man, mostly likely it was, was clumsy. He kept tripping over his own feet trying to run to me. I hoped he wasn't going to try anything, in my state if he did I wouldn't be able to fight back in the least.

I could not open my eyes to see him and when he knelt beside me, which he did slowly and gingerly, I'm guessing he was surprised. When he began to talk all I heard was a dull roar, kinda like gibberish. Like white noise in my ear, I supposed my nervous system and muscles hadn't been the only thing to get messed up when lightning struck my freaking face.

The man was then helping me up, trying to carry me. Although he wasn't doing a very good job of it, it seemed to me he wasn't very strong. In the long run he had to pick me up bridal style. I could hear he was panicked but nothing more, I could not even open my eyes to see him. That's one thing that frustrated me the most. I could see into people, tell if they had stained souls or not, just by looking at them. Another thing taught to us in the _'Academy of Assassins'_. Without my eyes and ears I was hopeless. Everything ached now though, at least the severe pain was gone.

Just as I felt I could open my eyes again, at least I thought I could, to see who was kind enough to help a street rat like me, my body fainted from fatigue. Damn! Everything was black once again; I gladly welcomed the rest from such pain. So, I guessed I'd have to scope out the dude that saved me after some much needed rest. I was dead tired, almost literally.

I kinda wished that I wouldn't wake up though. I preferred the darkness to the shit fantastic job I'd done of ruining my life. Really my life had become meaningless to me, I had only just realized that, through the pain and sorrow comes truth. Deep, right? If I could I would gladly give my life to someone else, anyone else. At least then I couldn't screw everything up again.

Leaving Denver had been a sorry mistake.

**-X-**

**Ending note:** _There, I hope it seemed...mysterious. I have revealed nothing but the setting of the main character. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them! Or if you have any interesting history tidbits that fit in with this time line in Italy I would very much like to hear them! _

**Edited Ending Notes**_**: **__I hope it's better than how it was originally! I'll be playing through the game as I write this, but the beginning is Pre-AC 2 and then goes into the game. I'll have fun writing the parts about young Ezio, then if I have the stamina I'll write an AC:B continuation of this._

_I would still like reviews! Better, worse, pie? Oh! Dean! Get out of my head….__pie__._


	2. Reborn

_**Edited Version: **__I've gone through this at least ten times, I apologize a head of time for any mistakes and for the lack of translations. I'd also like to thank__: BMD-X, Fox Mew Brittany, Lunatic Glare, and War Sage__ for reviewing._

**Re-Re-Edited Version: **_Thanks to __Fox Mew Brittany__ for pointing out my horrible mistakes. BLARG! Please excuse my awfulness at editing! So technically she was my beta, now everything's all good! Unless there was stuff even the two of us couldn't see. I hope not! -_-'_

**-X-**

_"Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness."__**-**_**Leonardo da Vinci**

_"There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other. And on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of."_ **-Giovanni Auditore**

**-X-**

**"Shadowed History"**

**Chapter 1:** _"Reborn"_

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was his full name. This man, little did he know, would be spoken about throughout history due to his incredible genius. _The Renaissance Man_. This man's story was a long one, but all he cared about was that now; the year of 1470 he had his own little workshop in Florence, Italy. He truly couldn't care less about anything other than his moment's passions. As being proved by his chronic procrastination problem.

While this genius' workshop was one of the more disorganized it held beauty that only those with an open mind could ever truly understand. This genius, like most, was misunderstood by society. Because of his strange actions and characteristics they did not hold him in high regard. Such a shame. But there are always those, whom themselves are different from others, who see such genius' true potential where he himself does not. Luckily these people do indeed exist: Supporters of more than just art; people that lurk beyond the shadows.

Little does Leonardo also know that he was about to meet another of his kind. She was outcasted because of her abilities and because of her mindset; born to a time that did not fit or suit her. Now her life was no longer her own, she had made too many mistakes for it to be. Her second chance would lie in his hands alone.

October, 3, 1470. Florence, Italy. 10 PM.

It was raining heavily outside, dark, clouded, and dreary. It was rare to see such storms in Florence, but this did not deter Leonardo at all. Earlier that day Leonardo's teacher had visited him, checking up on him. While usually his teacher would in-fact teach him something, that day Andrea di Cione; known as Verrocchio, had been very busy. He only stopped in to see on Leonardo's progress.

It was only a year ago that Verrocchio was teaching him while in his father's residence. During that last year; Leonardo had decided to claim his independence and found a workshop of his own. Away from his family, Leonardo started to grow, shine. His ambitions grew and so did his inspiration. Luckily; Verrocchio lived in his own workshop somewhere in Florence as well. Making Leonardo much more comfortable with the arrangement, since he at least new one man in this new environment he called home.

At the moment Leonardo was working on some sketches that he had been dying to jot down all day. It was pure bliss to finally be able to. He sat in the main room of the workshop on a stool in front of a large crème colored canvas. He was sketching lightly on the canvas with a small piece of black chalk. While he loved paints more, he was using chalk because he only had so much paint, and the paints he needed cost many Florins. Florins he did not have. Florins he would earn with these sketches. Leonardo hoped he would earn some credibility with these sketches, and get someone interested in commissioning more of his work. If he could get commissions, then he could get money, and after all that he could paint to his heart's content.

He wanted to do more than paint though, so much more!

The only thing lighting the room were a few candles seated here and there on small tables and chairs. Sketches and notes were strewn everywhere, as well as everything else, almost as if a storm had come through his workshop instead of outside. Leonardo was most certainly not a very organized person. Yet, he knew where everything was. At least, that's what he said. Leonardo had promised himself rest after he was finished, yet it seemed he would be up all night working. He did not mind however, he enjoyed his work too much to. Sleep could come later, he really needed to finish. It wasn't that he had a dead line, it was just, and he had put his work off for far too long.

It was in that moment, however, that Leonardo heard something that shook him to his very core. It was a blood curdling scream! Then, directly after, a loud clap of thunder, so loud it shook the room down to its roots. From hearing that, the artiest jumped from his seat, dropping his chalk piece onto the floor. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He himself felt a cold shiver go up his spine. Something was wrong, very wrong; he could feel it in his gut. Although Leonardo did not have many gut instinct feelings, he did trust them when he felt them. Something wasn't right and Leonardo knew it. Yes, he had heard screaming before but never like this. To him it sounded like the screaming of a condemned soul, bound to never see the sun or freedom again.

The screaming lasted for a while and as it did, Leonardo could tell that the origin of said screaming was near. Normally Leonardo did not go head-first into any dangerous situations, but curiosity got the better of him, as it always did. So the inventor sat up from his stool, walked to the door, and then slung it open. He began to trudge through the dark and gloomy storm as he stepped outside. The wind and rain nearly knocked off the red beret on his head, his cape waving behind him madly. This storm seemed to symbolize danger itself to Leonardo. It seemed almost as if it was foreshadowing events to come through the darkness of the night.

The young genius was drenched before he even took a step and could not even see a foot in front of himself; it was so dark. Yet, somehow he was able to make out the body of someone a few feet away. They were lying, face up, in the middle of the road. By their position Leonardo could tell that that person was in great pain, their head looking up into the abysmal sky. He could just barely hear a groaning noise coming from them, as if they could no longer scream but could not stop expressing the pain they were going through. This shocked Leonardo, as he saw no guards anywhere, or anyone else, who would have hurt this person. Matter of fact, the storm was so bad, Leonardo thought most likely even the guards and thieves themselves were safely tucked away somewhere. Only a reckless man would trudge through such darkness in the night.

Suddenly, Leonardo noticed the waves of the blue lighting surrounding each of the person's body parts, running up and down them in smaller waves. Like a current, but electric currents had yet to be discovered, so Leonardo did not know about them. Leonardo imagined that this person had burn marks all over their body from such a strike. If his theory was right that is. Leonardo believed that if the body lying there had such energy around them that maybe the clap of thunder he heard came from a lightning strike that had hit them head on. That would explain a lot. Even though Leonardo had only heard of one incident where a man was struck by lightning, it was just such a rare natural act. He had heard about the examination of the body though, the burn marks on him as if he had been touched by fire. It was all so strange….and fascinating!

The body, reflexively, jerked up and doubled over backwards in pain, screaming again. The smaller waves of electric current began to reduce to nothing as the body shook and trembled uncontrollably on the ground. The actions reminded Leonardo so much of a fish out of water, the way the person's body flopped around. Leonardo, finally out of his shocked trance, ran up to the body that lay on the ground. Since it was no longer making noise or moving he thought that that person was dead. But when he knelt down beside it he could see the chest rise and fall. He checked the body and he was right, there were burn marks all over... _her_. It was clearly a young woman. She wore such strange clothing though, and it had many holes in it, so it was very easy to spot her gender.

He was startled to realize the body was of a young female, very young, yet not too much younger than he himself. Her complexion was light, pale, and pure. Her hair was a dark brown auburn but it seemed that the length of it had been burned off, now it was short, just above shoulder length. Her hair also seemed to be like silk, smooth and completely straight, sticking mostly to her face now however, thanks to the rain. Her clothes were burned and were raggedy all over her body; they also stuck to her as she was far more drenched then Leonardo. Her long slim yet muscular legs showed the most, her arms seemed to be the same. Where she should have had bruises or scars she did not. Leonardo found this odd, but that wasn't what was important at the moment.

_He had to awake her!_

"La signorina è necessario alzarsi!" Leonardo tried to yell over the storm as he shook the young girl by her shoulders, trying to wake her. Her body, to his touch, was incredibly warm, almost as if she had just walked out of a fire. But no matter how much Leonardo tried she would not move, now, she was completely silent and motionless. "Si può camminare signorina?" Leonardo asked her but got no response. She merely continued to lay prone. This worried Leonardo and he chewed on his lip as he thought about what he could do. He needed to help her, why; he did not know. It was just, she seemed worth saving. There was just something about her; he could not put his finger on it. Whatever it was, Leonardo was a kind hearted man, and helping those that needed him, he was happy to do.

With his decision made, Leonardo decided to pick her up and carry her to his workshop. While Leonardo was not an incredibly strong man, this girl seemed to weigh barely anything. He saw why as he was carrying her, she was nothing more than skin and bones. Yet, oddly enough, on her stomach lay muscles Leonardo had only seen on a man. This intrigued him, but not enough to make him stop what he was doing at the moment. He took the girl into his workshop and laid her on the bed he had set out for models, for while they were modeling. After he gently sat her down he went to grab a rag drenched in cold water for her forehead.

But as Leonardo came back in to see to her fever and burn marks he was shocked, no terrified, to see that every burn mark on her body was gone. Vanished into thin air! Almost as if she never had them. Who on Earth was this girl? Even her fever had vanished, yet she did not awake or open her eyes. What sorcery was this? No, Leonardo did not believe in magic. He believed in science! Now, he knew for sure that he had made the right choice. When this girl woke she would answer his questions!

Leonardo sighed and put away the rag, clearly she did not need it. Afterwards he tucked the girl in, as now she was properly asleep, no groaning or moaning coming from her. He decided to do the same. He would hear if she got up, most likely though he would not be able to sleep after tonight's events anyway. His mind would constantly be turning, thinking. He had to contemplate everything to its fullest! So no, he would barely get any sleep this night. Too much excitement now ran through his blood, all thanks to his new guest.

**-X-**

October, 9, 1470. Florence, Italy. Noon.

"Alonzo!" Leonardo cried as he tried to catch up with me. I was surprised to see him, but I smiled and laughed when I saw how unfit he was compared to me. The poor man was running after me, hands on his knees, after he caught up, trying to breathe. He needed to be out and about more often. When Leonardo noticed I was laughing he pouted and I laughed harder. "It is not fair for you to run off when you know I want to go with you to the market." He stated; his cheeks all red from running so far.

He was so cute when he tried to be demanding. He could never pull it off though. He was too kind hearted, too gullible. Sometimes I felt bad for the guy, worried that he was really too kind. Then I realized I am here to protect him, and that he'll be fine. Kindness, to some, is not a weakness. Well, I hadn't changed that much, _yet_.

"I am sorry Leonardo _Maestro_; you could inform me of your presence before expecting me to slow down for you. Besides," I stated slyly. "It is the assistenti's job to fetch supplies from the market." I said in my fake Italian tongue, since I did grow up in Colorado, not Italy. But thanks to a gift I was given I could understand Italian as if it was English and speak it as if it was English. Odd, I still did not understand how, and it felt strange, like I was me but someone else with different knowledge and skills. There were still so many unexplained things going on around me, but I did not mind. Italy was so much nicer than New York; I only worried that I might wake up if I think too deeply about my situation.

The dirty blonde painter pouted again. "I know! But you do not always get the right kind of paints I want." He lied; he was such a horrible liar. I could read the guy like an open book, but that was good, it meant I could trust him.

"Liar, you just want to come so you can follow me around as if I were your cucciolo." I countered as I continued walking the streets of Florence, while carrying a wooden made box, which I would use to carry back the things I would buy from the market. Since there were no such things as carts or Wal-Mart bags, this would have to do. To tell the truth, I liked it better. The smell of Seeder was nice to me and I never ended up getting splinters in my hand like I thought I would. It was nice.

The young red beret wearing man scoffed jokingly. "Non avrei mai!" He replied sarcastically, a large shining smile on his face. His eyes were always alight with passion and inspiration. Such were the eyes of the smartest man in history.

I could only laugh, _'Yeah right, Leo.' _I thought, rolling my eyes in the process. "Well as long as my Maestro is following me, you should take lead." I indicated to in front of me, my hand coming out from under the wooden box, Leo nodded and followed through. As the young genius began to lead and ramble off on what he had planned for the week my mind began to drift off. Only a week ago I was a delivery girl in New York that delivered dangerous and illegal devices to very dangerous people. I had turned down my bloodline destiny to do something completely dark and dreadful. I still regret what I did, very much so.

But about a week ago, as well, I was given a second chance. That second chance was like being reborn, my body completely free of scars or any sign of previous use. My second chance was in 1470 Florence, Italy, with THE Leonardo da Vinci. What luck, right? He was pretty young right now though, six years younger than most would think, since it was 1470. It was painful experience, what I think was time travel. The female God sent me here, I think. I was so unsure of anything, but the point was, I was more than happy here. I loved Italy, just being here made me feel… _mellow_. I felt calmer, warm on the inside. The melancholy way that I once saw things was forever gone. That did not mean, however, I was not bitter towards my past. I was changing, just, slowly.

This man though, oh god this man; _Leonardo_. I call him Leo, when were not in public. He took me in with a grin on his face and kindness in his eyes. The man I had heard was such a genius in my history class actually acts like a little kid in real life. Oh! Not all the time though. He is really incredible, it's just...he wants to have fun as well as live a serious life, and almost everything excites him or fascinates him. I respect him for that, and I think he's right. Why be serious all the time? Why grow up if you can't act like a little kid every once in a while? 'Ya know?

The day I woke up in his workshop I was astounded and worried that if I told Leonardo the truth of what happened to me he'd think I was crazy. He believed me though; 'cause I had to tell him! He wanted answers so badly! He was just so curious! I was reluctant to tell him at first, but to me it seemed like he had such an open mind. If anyone here would believe me it would be him. He did too, every single word I said. He is truly too kind. Too kind to be real, he's more of a dream. _My second chance._

I didn't tell him I was an Assassin though, or about the dream, my visions, or my second chance. Just that I was from another time and that I was stuck here 'till I did something in particular. What that particular thing was, I didn't know. Really, I'd be happy to be here forever! But, there's no way! I can't butterfly effect history. I'm worried I'm already messing up time, but what exactly can I do about that? I don't have a TARDIS 'ya know. No…you wouldn't.

Until then, he had said that he would allow me to be his assistant. It was a cover and something for me to do until I figured this out. He knows I'm a woman, but my disguise is that I'm an eighteen year old boy from Vicci that lost his parents, and Leonardo saw potential in me so he hired me off the streets. The clothes I was wearing did a good job of hiding my identity too and of making me look like a street rat. The old gray hat that I wore to cover my face, my eyes, and my hair looked like a beret crossed with a ball cap. It has a name but I don't remember what it's called. Then the slightly ragged, brown, worn out pants, shirt, and shoes made me look the part. I looked almost exactly like the lower middle class citizens of Florence.

Since a week ago I've be doing as told, I've actually have been acting as his assistant, not that I mind, its how I'm paying him back. I've been doing the cleaning, delivering messages, delivering paintings, and anything else he needs me for. He thinks I might model for him sometime, but I highly doubt it. I'm not pretty enough for that. I knew I was safe with him though. The warmth and love he gives off, like...I don't know...a crazy older brother. I know he won't try anything too, because he's a homosexual, but I haven't told him I know that yet. History class teaches you a great many things when you pay attention, or when you Google it out of random interest. Yeah, I didn't pay attention much in my _'normal'_ classes.

The first couple of nights were awkward but now I'm completely comfortable around him. He grows on me more and more every day, I think it's a vice versa thing too. He also gave me the name Alonzo, but he only calls me that while we are in public, it is my fake Italian cover name after all. While it is just us he calls me Ash. Not that I'm really Skyler Ash anymore any way though. I don't mind it; the nickname gives me a sense of trust. As the young artist continues his rambling I just watch him and smile a smile that was distant, sad, happy, and longful. I was so full of emotions lately.

Leonardo's always worried about me, oddly. It's almost as if he actually thinks of me as a sibling now. I guess maybe he does, maybe since he was an only son that he's always wanted a younger sibling to dote on. For example; the first few times I came to fetch things in town for him, he got all worried and ruffled. He had said _'what if you got lost'_, _'what if someone tried to hurt you'_, and other stuff like _'what if someone found out you're a woman'_? But the thing is; he doesn't know I'm a five star fighter. I've beaten guys ten times my size with ten times more experience. It was my heritage shining through, my training. I trained all my life to be an Assassin. So I was more than sure I could take care of myself.

"So what do you think amico mio?" Leo asked regardingly as we stopped a few feet away from the market. He turned to me smiling, gesturing towards some of the other paintings. There was a stall, an art merchant shop. It had many very good and extravagate paintings hanging from its walls. I thought Leonardo's were better though. But he wanted my opinion; I didn't know what to say though.

I blinked rapidly, unsure, thinking, "Of what Maestro?" I asked, clearly not having paid attention to what he had been talking about earlier. Obliviously he meant something specific; at least I think he did. I had been off in my own thoughts, so for all I know, he had been talking about what I should make for dinner.

Leonardo sighed, rubbing the hair under his red beret. It looked strange when he did that, like the hat was itchy or something. The look suited him though. "Of what I had planned assistenti! You were not listening to me were you? Dios Mio! What am I going to do with you Alonzo?" Leo said, exasperated. Leonardo was more than patient though, he was just being eccentric. One of these days he'd learn to cool his jets.

I bowed my head, as much as I could with a wooden box in my hands, it was harder than you could imagine. "I am sorry Maestro; perhaps you should ..._punish me_." I said, trying to sound serious but not being serious at all. I raised and lowered my eyebrows, trying to get him to blush with my perverted comment. I was a huge pervert after all, or was I? I didn't know anymore.

Leo blushed, thinking of me as a man at the moment, I imagined. The idea, I have to admit, got me a little hot under the collar. But I loved the fact it was so easy to make him blush. It was just too much fun! I smirked evilly; it was just too easy. "You should not talk that way Alonzo; you will get me in trouble." He whispered harshly, nervous. He looked around to make sure no one heard me. I could only laugh. Like I'd let anyone hurt him.

"I was only kidding Maestro; you should stop getting so ruffled all the time." I laughed as I walked past Leo into the market place. Quickly I began to pick up apples, carrots, bananas, cheeses, and breads. Most of them came from the same market stall, whose vendor owned a large stake of land that he grew and managed all sorts of foods on. It was all very impressive, and delicious! I usually picked up any type of food that did not spoil extremely quickly. Refrigerators didn't exist yet after all. I would pay for them with the florins in my pocket, which held a coin purse in it, then put the food in the box. Leo was behind me looking at art, paints, canvases, and other such things the market place provided. He was awestruck and distracted far too easily. He'd make a horrible Assassin.

He would toss and turn his head, squint, and rub his not-yet-formed beard as he examined other art. He was scrutinizing it. Analyzing it to see its imperfections then paint something much better. But he would still appreciate it, voice its high quality, and never verbally state its quirks. It was completely adorable. He reminded me of a Golden Retriever puppy sometimes. Those big blue eyes and golden hair, his attitude matched it to a T.

As I was about to call to Leo, while walking back towards his workshop along the road from the market, I was tripped. Luckily, my grip was firm on the wooden box, so instead of fruit flying everywhere, the box landed safely on the ground, with my hand still attached to it. I had landed flat on my stomach, air rushing from my lungs as I impacted. The men who tripped me laughed as I got to my knees, quickly getting back up from such a fall, brushing off what I could, I fumed from the ache all over my body. On my knees I could feel a stinging and burning sensation, meaning they were skinned. Raw and bloody, my pants ripped.

I could feel the anger in me boiling as the two drunkards, who had tripped me, continued to laugh their fat asses off at the little _'assistenti boy'_; as they called me. Heads were about to roll. I may have mellowed but no one got the better of me! I had killed over sixty men in my life time, tortured more. My temper was legendary among the streets of New York.

"It seems you cannot keep you balance well, ragazzo." The man who spoke was pudgy, fat, and lazy. He was a man who rolled around in his medium wealth and got drunk in it. The type of guy no one says no to because he has hired thugs. He was a guy with no respect towards others and a death wish. He thinks he's untouchable just 'cause he has some money.

"What good of an assistenti are you if you keep tripping like that?" The pudgy man's friend was no better. He was tall and lanky, no real muscle on him what-so-ever. He too wore robes that were nice, but not overly extravagate. They both just looked like they had come from a brothel, high from sex and alcohol. They thought they were badass, well I didn't.

I tried to suppress a growl as they kept harassing me. But if I had been a woman it would have been much worse. Of course, the last guy that tried to rape me, was castrated; with a blunt knife. _'So yeah, keep mocking me idiots, see who gets the last laugh!' _I slowly stood up and checked all of the fruit and food in the wooden box. All of it seemed fine and accounted for. For that I was glad. But my knees were so bad they were still bleeding, barely any skin there left on my bones. If there had not been holes in my pants there it probably would not have been as I admit Florence is beautifully designed they apparently didn't think about skinned knees when they built the road and walk of the place. I hissed in pain as I stood to my feet, it wasn't really bad but then again bad to me was getting shot in the shoulder, one of your legs, and living. _So...yeah_.

"Oh! Is the assistenti ragazzo going to fight us?" The pudgy one asked the lanky one sarcastically.

"If he does he will lose." The lanky one snarled; his stance tipsy at best.

As I fisted my hand and looked over at the two drunken retards, who were begging to be beaten to the ground, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. There was suddenly white in a sea of browns and greys, among the crowds of people in the market. Instantly I turned back to the two men though, I knew where my concentration needed to be, both stood proudly upon their inflated egos. Luckily, I had the pin to deflate them.

"Alonzo!" Leonardo then ran up to me, ruining my plan. "Are you alright?" He sounded so worried. He had apparently just noticed what was going on. He saw my knees and dread filled his eyes. He even seemed guilty that he did not notice sooner. I sighed at that.

"Is this your assistenti, artista?" The pudgy one asked, sneering down at Leonardo.

"You should teach him how to walk without tripping." The lanky one said, following the pudgy one's gaze.

I grinded my teeth slowly, trying not to growl. Leonardo had to laugh to cover up the pain and worry on his face. "I will try signore." He nodded quickly and tried to usher me foreword. But I wouldn't budge. "Please Alonzo; we do not want to make a scene." Leo pleaded to me in my ear, his hand on my shoulder.

"Please, go home Maestro, men like this need to be taught a lesson." I popped my knuckles as I whispered back to him. My temper just flared. I promised myself these guys would pay; anger like mine could not be put out so easily.

"No, you will get in trouble with the guards." He warned me, desperately tugging on my arm so I would leave with him. He really did not want either of us getting into trouble. It was easy to get into trouble here; in Florence. Sneeze at the wrong person and you'd get arrested. I think it is because this place is under Templar control.

_"Screw the guards."_ I hissed, suddenly speaking in English again. I barely noticed the change from one language to another. Matter of fact; I would not have noticed the change at all, it was so subtle, if Leonardo had not flinched and drawn his brows together in confusion. He knew a bit of every language, but not what I said in American English. I tried not to do that again, but I found speaking English every once in a while to be comforting.

"Please, Alonzo, I don't want you to get hurt." Leo begged, as he hugged my arm suddenly, like a distraught mother. It was then I realized; I wasn't doing as I was supposed to. Leo was giving me an order and if I didn't follow it he would be in as much trouble as I. So I sighed, and was about to comply..._when the tables turned._

"So, little artista…-" The lanky one with a high pitched voice said; his tone taunting and far too prideful. "For helping teach your assistenti a lesson you should reward us." He began to circle us then, like scavenger birds, his friend copying his movements but in the opposite direction.

"Yes," The pudgy one nodded in agreement, circling like hungry predators. "Reward us." He commanded, all high and mighty, thinking they were both above everyone else. They really needed to be taken down a peg.

I scowled, _how disgusting_; I thought. Men with so much greed, they are blinded to see what stands in front of them: _Their down fall._ Rule one in life; don't piss off a female Assassin. It is a lesson I was more than happy to teach. No one and I mean no one; was going to hurt Leonardo! I'd cut them to pieces long before they could lay a finger on him! Leo backed away from me, scared, terrified, I could see it in his eyes, but even then he only backed away a little bit. He seemed to draw the feeling of safety from being closer to me. He looked through his pockets and paled. "While I would love to pay you signore's, I have nothing to offer." He told them honestly. He never carried his wallet with him. Originally it is a good idea not to carry your money around in a place like this; I've never seen so many thieves in my life. Today, however, it's come back to bite us.

The two greedy men turned on him, not believing him. They began to near him, stalking him like prey, their eyes hungry and greedy, but I stepped in their way. They both grinned like sharks. I scowled heavily at them, blocking their way from poor little Leo. This was about to get messy.

"Pay us, little artista, or you and your assistenti will pay by blood." The pudgy one warned, shooting up a red flag in my mind. How dare they threaten us like that? Now that they threatened my Maestro I was _'allowed'_ to protect him. I now had a story to tell the guards if they asked what the commotion was about. They had no idea what Hell they had just unleashed, I had been waiting for this. The men tried to corner us, but I stayed in front of them, protecting Leonardo. They sneered at my loyalty like rabid dogs, their eyes so dark it was like they were demons.

"Oh! How sweet! The little assistenti is trying to protect his Maestro. You should run while you still can, find another Maestro that isn't dead by the time we are done with him." The lanky one threatened, as if he was going to leave this alive. Their greed and corruption was their undoing. That, however, was the last straw. Now this hay was about to be set on fire.

"Maestro, please, go back to the workshop. I will be right behind you." I lied to Leonardo, trying to wave him back home. I reached for the grasp he now had on my shoulder. He had that gaze in his eyes, and I looked into those seas of sky blue. I needed him to understand but I couldn't warn him verbally.

"But-!" He tried to stop me, but one glare from me made him gulp. He nodded and wished me well as he grabbed the box of supplies and headed back to the workshop. I hoped he would be okay and understand why I had to do this, why I had to protect him. I knew Leonardo was not a man of violence, but I also knew he would be beating himself up over leaving me. He was always worried and guilt ridden, thinking it was his fault. I would show him however, that he could trust me; that I could protect myself and him.

"So the little-" Before the pudgy one could finish what he was saying, my foot was in his face. It was a high kick to his nose, blood spurting everywhere. My fist whipped around, my body acting like that of a rubber band, my knuckles popping into the lanky man's face. I punched the pudgy one as I spun into a circle kicking the lanky one as well. When both of my feet were on the lanky one's face I pushed off, doing a back flip in mid-air to land on my feet again. I had to grab my hat quickly, off of the ground, as it had fallen from my head mid-flight, before the two could see my eyes and face. I put it on and turned around to face them quickly, using a two-step move.

Blood was flowing down both of their faces as they yelped, cradling their bloody noses in their hands. They could dish it out but not take it apparently. As usual they were all bark no bite; just what I would expect from rabid dogs like them.

"Demonio!" They both yelled as they ran away, fleeing like cowards; showing their true colors as they realized just who they were messing with.

I laughed, hard. It had been a while since I was in a fight that easy. "Codardos!" I cheered as they ran as fast as they could away, down the road of Florence, their tails between their legs. Many citizens around me just stopped to stare and gawk at what had just happened. I could imagine why, no one had the flexibility or quickness I had in this day and age. My moves were from a Chinese martial art called Kempo, not yet discovered by any others but the Chinese. Many whispered things about me, but the mercenaries, who had watched my battle, which usually paced the parts of Florence, laughed and chuckled. They admired my speed and flexibility; I bowed to them in appreciation. I felt pretty proud at that moment, but of course it did not last.

"Ragazzo!" I heard an elderly sounding man yell from behind me. I turned around to see a large group of uniformed guards wielding weapons. Let me be honest, I nearly pissed myself. Fighting low lives on the streets was one thing, but being out numbered and out armed, that was scary as shit. I had no upper hand against them.

"Me?" I pointed to myself as the angry looking guards began to walk up to me, of course the sniffling cowards from earlier were hiding behind them. God, my day wasn't going well at all! But at least I had had that one moment of victory, and hey, maybe the guards will believe me and not arrest me. Fat chance though.

"Are you the one who attacked these men?" The lead guard asked me as he nearly stood toe to toe with me. He held the handle of his sword at his side, demanding answers through threats. He wore a large silver helmet and red and black garbs. This man seemed more like a Templar than a city guard, perhaps I should look into that. This was the time of the Borgia after all.

"Signore these men attacked my Maestro and I! I was merely defending my Maestro!" I argued knowing that most likely these guards would persecute me any way, just because I was of lower class. But I also knew I could run a lot faster than them. I had to try though; I'd rather there not be posters up of me just yet. I didn't want to get arrested over such a stupid manner.

"That is not what I was told ragazzo!" The guard in front of me yelled as he was about to hit me with the butt of his sword. He seemed to be on the side where the money lay. Greedy bastards, all of them. Oh well, I tried. Quickly, before he could even blink, I was three feet away from him, jumping back like how you would in a boxing ring, his sword hitting nothing but the air. I was far faster on my feet than he could ever be.

"Bastardo!" He yelled, angry at the fact he could not hit me and that that made him look incompetent. Of course, I didn't care. To me he was incompetent, a guard siding with the dogs. Dogs could keep their ground, I was a bird, and I'd take to the sky! "Get him!" Was all I heard as I began to run. I ran hard and fast, losing most of the guards instantly.

Then I saw white. A white hooded man watching me, among the crowd, as I ran for my life. That was most likely what I had seen earlier. The face beneath the hood smiled before he disappeared again, blending with the people. He was most definitely an Assassin. No doubt in my mind. This fact actually excited me. If he had been watching perhaps he'd show himself again later on. To be with the Assassins again, I would love that! I missed the feel of the hidden blade under my arm, against my palm. I missed the rush and adrenaline from an assassination mission, the purpose I felt while wearing a hood.

The next thing I know though, I'm grabbing a window seal above me and climbing my way up the side of a building. Free running was much easier here in Florence, Italy then it ever was in New York or Denver. I could actually enjoy free running for once instead of having to concentrate. It was just natural; jump, grab, and climb. So much easier than trying to scale a flat building with no grips or holds.

I felt the wind pass me by as I leaped from roof top to roof top. I felt like a bird flying across the buildings of Italy, almost unstoppable as I did. However, I knew I needed to hide until I was sure that no one was following me. I didn't plan on leading guards to Leo's workshop. I hid in one of the tented gazebos that stood on top of many of the buildings in Florence. I had no idea what they were there for though, except for hiding in. So, good for me! I had to admit though; I had never felt more alive than when I was running from guards on Italian roof tops.

**-X-**

It was fifteen minutes later I found myself back at Leo's, knocking on the door. Leo peeked through the crack, his eyes nervous, body jittery, then after seeing it was me he threw the door open and hugged me, as if he thought I was dead or something. He really had been overly worried, as usual.

"Dios Mio! I was so worried about you, signorina Ash!" With that said Leo, literally, dragged me back into the workshop, closing the door behind him. He eyed me wearily, "Are you alright? What happened?" He demanded, wanting to know if the two men had done anything to me.

_"Chill Leo-"_ I was going to continue until I saw Leo giving me a weird look, I had been speaking English again. Not just that, but American English slang. _'Damn modern day slang! It gets so stuck in your head you use it without thinking about it!'_ "Calm down. I'm fine, nothing but skinned knees and fatigued muscles." I assured him, holding onto him by the shoulders. I urged him to stop shaking, but it took him a while. He really did care to much about me. After all of that he still looked worried. I sighed, exhausted. "I promise, believe it or not I'm not a half bad fighter." I tried to explain without giving away too much, I didn't want him questioning my past.

When I stated that Leo began to pout, "Bella Donna's should not have to fight!" He stated roughly, folding his arms, trying to be resolute in his beliefs. Problem was, I wasn't a beautiful woman, and where I came from everyone was on their own. I didn't have a knight in shining armor to protect me, not that I needed one.

I blushed then shook my head frantically, him calling me beautiful kinda made my gut knot. "Leo! I'm not a Bella Donna! I'm a ragazzo! Stop worrying about things I can take care of, being your assistenti as I am I should be able to protect you!" I argued, trying to make a point while still being bewildered. My job was protecting him, not parading around being helpless. _Mios Dio_ this was annoying!

For the first time Leo glared at me, before dropping it and shrugging. "I may have only known you for a week signorina but I can already tell that you are one of those people who will do something even when they are told not to. So, I suppose I will, as you say _'live with it'_." Leo tried to copy my English while still speaking Italian, it sounded incredibly weird. He even did quotation marks around the English words, copying me when I was being snarky. I thought it was hilarious! But I knew Leo; he was never one to give up. I also knew he respected other people's individuality and wishes. He would indeed live with it, but still beat himself up with worry. Later on he would gain another friend that would make him do this to himself again. He trusted us though; he had faith in our wings.

**-X-**

Darkness had befallen Italy once again. The sounds of the renaissance bounced off the beautiful architectural buildings of the era and from the darkened streets of Florence. The sky was set to a dark crystal blue, the stars shining brighter than in any other place or time. Leonardo was fast asleep on his stool as he still clutched his paints in his hand, having been working then fallen asleep at his canvas. What amazed me is how soundlessly this man slept, I could be looking away for a second and he would be asleep by the time I looked back. He worked himself to sleep most of the time, actually.

I laughed quietly as I shook my head, astounded by his dedication. I was standing in the doorway of his workroom as he had his head back, asleep; lightly snoring. I chuckled quietly before walking up to him. I took his beret off gingerly then his red cape. Surprisingly, I was able to pick this man up and put him on the modeling bed. I tucked him in as he turned over and got more comfortable, which he did subconsciously. This was how he treated me our first night together, gently with kindness. I couldn't help but smile at the face he made while he slept. He must have dreamt of Heaven.

When I thought about my first night with Leo; I remembered what Leonardo had first told me when I woke up the second time in his workshop. He had been watching me sleep, sketching me. He said he had never seen someone make such a sad face while they were asleep. I never could get rid of the nightmares, so I imagined I did look...hurt, lonely, sorrowful. When I closed my eyes all I saw was darkness. But now wasn't the time to think about that. Quickly, I grabbed the black raggedy cloak I had found in Leo's closet and put it on, taking my own cap off. I pulled the black make-shift hood over my head and walked to the door. All of the clothes I wore I got from the closet in the hallway, right across from the workshop entrance. I wore the clothes Leo himself could not anymore, hand-me-downs.

I know it was dangerous doing what I did, but I couldn't help it. The rush it gave me, it was one of the things I had truly ever lived for. When I was younger and lived in Denver I had this knack for becoming a vigilante, the hero of the weak. _Shadow_; that had been the nickname tabloid journalists had given me. I went against The Creed when I did such things, I put The Brotherhood in danger, but I never cared. It was only a month later I had bitten off more than I could chew. Not a memory I planned to remember. I was Alonzo now though, not Skyler Ash. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

In a matter of moments I found myself looking out over Florence, having jumped out of the window across from the entrance to Leo's workshop. The beautiful city of the 15th century, breathtaking as the full moon lite it's streets. One that would suffer soon enough; if the Templars had their way. I was pretty sure though that that's what I was here for; to kill Templars, _as usual_. Yet...just maybe, if I was right, if I remembered, I was right smack dab where the REAL war of the Templars and Assassins began. Where Ezio Auditore began his fight against the Borgia, where everything changed.

That's when I heard a scream. It was feminine, high pitched, and mellow toned. I twisted my head to the direction my ears were picking it up from. North; I had to close my eyes to make sure, because sometimes strong wind will change the direction of a sound. I just had to be sure.

I sighed, opening my eyes again, as I looked down over the edge I sat on, and as I moved to the ledge of the tower. I stood there feeling the wind on my face minutes before I performed a _Leap of Faith_ into a hay bale below. The wind nearly taking the cloak off my back it was so strong from the jump. I never thought I'd get to perform an old style Leap of Faith again after my graduation from Novice to Assassin. It was so exhilarating! I could get addicted to that rush of adrenaline and the feel of wind under me; as if I had wings and that I could fly! But I had a feeling I would be doing it a lot now, as many times as I could.

Being in the hurry that I was though, I jumped out of the hay bale quickly and headed to where the scream originated from. I ignored the feeling of hay in my hair and ran as fast as I could. I flew down several streets and alleys before I found her; the woman that had screamed. Two armed guards were attacking a...well...ummm...a prostitute, I guess. We called 'em Hookers where I was from, but whatever. She was screaming for them to get off of her, but they were too drunk to care. Another bunch of horny greedy douche bags that had no respect for anyone else in the world. Exactly like Mister Pudgy and Mister Lanky from before.

Slowly I stride up to them, like a badass in a cape, still no weapon with me. 'Cause asking Leo for a sword would be suspicious, and I had no money to buy one. So I was weaponless, but not without tactics and skill. "Dios Mio, what are you demonio doing to this poor ragazza?" I asked, flaunting my _'oh-so-sexy'_ male Italian accent. Something I had mastered thanks to Leo's quick lessons. It wasn't too hard to get my voice to go baritone.

The guards, as drunk as they were, still took offense to my words, their bodies spinning around to me and their eyes glaring holes into me. The prostitute however looked grateful for my saving her; the look came from deep within her chocolate colored eyes. Although things weren't over yet, so she was thanking me far too soon, I highly doubted two drunken guards could take me. But there was a first time for everything.

"Ragazzo! This is none of your business! Leave!" One of the guards commanded as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was flushed and barely standing straight, no way he was thinking of pulling a sword on me. Yet, he was, the idiot.

"Mi? Scusa mi but I am sure that rape without pay for a prostitute is illegal and bad business. I'm just being a stand up citizen." I shrugged as I watched the guards closely, while drunk they were like animals. I had a deep hatred for men like them, deeper than anyone could ever imagine. I stared them down, my green eyes boring into their native brown ones.

"Bastardo!" They both pulled out their swords suddenly, all of the guards in this area get angry to easily. "We warned you!" Then, of course, they attacked. I dodged without even having to really think about it, preforming on reflex alone. Their rapier like swords slicing the air in front of me, all I had to do was lean back out of arm's reach. When using a sword you must imagine it as a part of yourself, therefore, get out of the man's reach, you're out of the sword's reach. We are taught strict swordsmanship when growing up in any era, we Assassins.

However, I did not anticipate there to be other more sober guards coming to back up their drunken buddies. I really needed to re-think my life style some times. I was far too reckless and I was going to die far too young. "Kill him!" Was all I heard before I was surrounded on all sides, nowhere to run. They all had their swords out ready to kill me, the young girl, hooker, from earlier hid in the shadows as I was about to be skewed to the afterlife. _'Fuck me!' _I blanched.

"Trying to save all of Italia one person at a time, uh, ragazzo?" A voice, suddenly and from nowhere, echoed all over as the guards looked around trying to find out where the voice was coming from. They were as distracted by it as me, looking all around like chickens with their head's cut off. But then, I tilted my head a bit to the left and looked up, there, on top of the building beside me, was a man. The figure it belonged to stood hidden by shadows on that building. The full moon shined brilliantly behind his stilettoed form. Even though the figure was meant to be feared, his voice made me think otherwise. It was a warm and aged voice, fatherly if anything. The voice was of a very deep baritone with a strong Italian accent. Oddly enough; it reminded me of my father.

I laughed audibly at the figure's statement, he was right after all, but to say it so bluntly and while I was surrounded by guards, that's what I thought was funny. "Si signore; that I am! I was succeeding, until these bastardo guards decided to cheat!" I yelled so that the figure would hear from how far up he was, I could almost _feel _the guards glaring at me. I flipped them off, not really caring what they did now. I was, after all, the better man.

"Perhaps we should even the odds? Si?" The shadowed form then stepped out and fell from the roof of the building, landing elegantly on the concreted street; feet first to be exact. It was pretty awesome, and truly badass. Now that the light was on him I recognized him, he was the white hooded man that had been watching me when I fought those men earlier. It seemed I already had a stalker, but not an unwanted one. From his clothing I could tell he too was an Assassin, just as I thought! It was confirmed that I was correct.

"Grazie signore!" I said as the man quickly pulled out his sword and began to stride up to us, taking man after man out on his walk towards me. His rapier like sword was quick; one swing would take one, if not more, guards down. He was elegant about it too, like a dove, moving with practiced graze and poise. He truly had great training to move like he did. I did the same, but had a harder time since all I had was my fists. But it was a matter of moments before we were back to back, all the guards either dead or unconscious. "So, with what name should I thank my savior?" I asked, turning to him. I saw his face now and thought it oddly familiar, like I had seen it somewhere before.

The man grinned under his hood. "Can I truly trust you with such a name, ragazzo?" He asked slyly, his own eyes analyzing me, searching for something that lay deep within, such is the Assassin way. To know exactly to whom you refer to just by looking at them. No worthy Master Assassin would give away their identity, even if you saw their face, it meant nothing.

I bowed to the man, but never did I break the contact between our eyes. If a predator would approach a predator they would never stray looking down each other's noses. As soon as one would break contact the other would strike and a battle would commence. We were both powerful birds in a cage; there were boundaries of respect to be taken. "You saved my life; I owe you a great debt." I admitted as I straightened myself out again, standing inches away from him.

The man laughed with his golden eyes, his lips upturned in a deep smile. He bowed back, also admitting his respect. "My name is Giovanni Auditore, now who, might I ask, are you?" He asked standing again, as he sheathed his bloody blade.

I paused, a gasp caught in my throat as a realization struck me like a ton of bricks! _'The Giovanni Auditore? The father of Ezio Auditore? Master of the Assassin Order during the 14th century? Ezio being the Mentor during the 15th century and Niccolo Machiavelli being the Master before him.'_ My brain scanned over every bit of information I learned during my years of Assassin history class. What? Did you think Assassins had normal history classes? I didn't go to a normal school after all. You get to learn a lot about Assassin history when Lucas is your Mentor. God! That guy never shuts up. But at the moment I was glad. _'If I'm right then...I'm SO screwed.'_

The pause for thought was not taken lightly by Giovanni, as he waved his hand in front of my face, his brow raised, concern in his eyes. "Are you alright ragazzo?" He asked, worry in his voice.

"Oh! Spiacente! I seem to have sp-...went to deep in thought. Scusa mi." I bowed to him again as I said _'thought'_. This man deserved respect; no demanded it, he was after all the Master of the Assassin Order. Even though I betrayed the Assassins at one time didn't mean I lost respect for them.

"It is alright, ragazzo. Now, you never told me your name." Giovanni repeated his question, but before I could answer it the prostitute from earlier came up to us. She was clearly shaken, fear and terror written all over her face. She trembled violently as she trudged up to us, breaking the conversation between us.

"Ah! Signorina, I am sorry. I almost forgot you were there." I then walked over to her and put my arm around her shoulder to comfort and warm her. She seemed to shake less after I did that. I was kinda like a security blanket for her, the ones cops put over victims after they find 'em.

She looked up to me, her red hair down to her shoulders, bruises on her arms, and smiled warmly up at me. My heart shook from her smile, it reminding me of a friend I left behind in New York. The only friend I had in New York. "Grazie signore! Grazie!" She said hurriedly, her cheeks beginning to blush. She was desperate for comfort, and while I admitted she was beautiful, that was not the way I swung. I felt very awkward by how she looked at me, but I had to swallow it and help her, and stop worrying about my own feelings.

Giovanni came up to me then, surprising the girl, he then put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which was very close to my neck. "You must be one of Paola's ragazzas." He stated; then he looked up at me. Suddenly his gaze was very serious towards me, as if he remembered there was business to be done. "We should walk her home; it is not far from here." He took the girl's hand and began to walk away before I could reply, but I did as directed. I kinda had to if I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Being around Giovanni was like standing out in a lightning storm, humid and electrifying, another feeling I was going to get very addicted too. What was I saying? I already needed rehab from it, if I was going to a brothel just to be around him. _'Fuck me.'_

**-X-**

Paola just happen to be the Madame of La Rosa Colta; a brothel in the middle of Florence. I had not yet had time to explore Florence fully yet, so I nearly got lost while trying to follow Giovanni. But I was right in thinking that you couldn't miss it, the brothel that is. The brothel was in the middle of the city, decorated by lots of red ribbon all over the large building. I couldn't pronounce the name of it though; with my own tongue, my strict Italian was still a bit..._sluggish_. I'd have Leo give me more lessons later.

It took us a few minutes to get there but when we did, the girl; Claria, who was the prostate we saved, lead us inside; where I was ambushed by many scantily clad women. They were all older than me, in fact. I would have freaked out, had Giovanni not been shoulder to shoulder with me; there was no way I was going to start going hysterical around the freaking Master of Assassins. What would he think? This is when said woman; Madame Paola came up to Giovanni and hugged him. But not the kinda hug I would have expected her running a brothel and all. It was more like a hug from a daughter. I guessed that was the kind of relation they had_. 'If only I had Google I could find out why.'_ I thought as my hands itched to touch a keyboard again.

"Grazie Giovanni; for saving one of my girls." Paola said, thankful, as she parted with Giovanni and smiled at him. There was a spark between the two, a good friendship formed between the family ties of Assassins. It reminded me of the way things were back at the Denver base. My dad wasn't my only family there; we were all family, even if we weren't related by blood.

Giovanni smiled back at her and chuckled, he then slipped his hood off of his head, revealing more of his facial features. "It was not I who saved her." He explained; that is when Giovanni side stepped and waved over to me, I had started to hide behind the man as he spoke to Paola, now I was out in the open. "It was this ragazzo. You should be thanking him." He informed her; suddenly she got a twinkling in her eyes as she looked at me. Unfortunately, I knew that look. I gulped as she gave me said look. Being disguised as a guy was just getting harder every day. If I valued my peace I would think of something...and quick!

I bowed politely to Paola as she came toward me. The other girls seemed to leave the room as she did. Something smelled fishy here. "Signorina, I was just doing my duty as a-" I was caught off suddenly as I tried to distract the deranged Madame of a brothel. All I could think was; _'Don't fuck me, don't!'_

"Are you an Assassin as well?" She asked as she touched my shoulder. I gaped at her; Giovanni gave her a surprised look. He was not expecting her to be so blunt apparently. I had to think of how to answer that question. Really, I didn't know if I could classify myself as an Assassin anymore, but I was trained as one. So I supposed I was, if anything I was at one time.

"Si, signorina, that I am, or at least I was trained to be one." I answered truthfully, knowing better than to lie to an Assassin, who was trained to be a human lie detector. I stood straight up again. Paola could only smile as I answered honestly to her. Honesty was very welcome among the Assassin Order, even if said honesty means speaking your mind and getting chased around by the cops. Yeah, I said it straight to one of their faces once. _'Fuck 'da police.' _I couldn't stop laughing; my dad didn't think it was so funny though.

"A trained Assassin without a Maestro or a blade; a rare find indeed." The Madame commented to Giovanni, who nodded in agreement. The two shared glances, thoughts not shared verbally but mentally between each other. Years of experience with certain people allow you to do this, but no, they were not telepathic. That's just stupid! Now I understood why the other girls had been sent out, they must have planning to talk business. Assassin business; where only Assassins were allowed to listen in.

"Agreed Paola," Giovanni nodded to the Madame, finally putting in input with words. "But I must admit you are well trained." The Master Assassin paused, looking at me as he did. He analyzed me from head to toe, appraising me and my skill and form. "You lack thought in your movement however. It seems your fighting is purely reflexive. Which is impressive, _si_, but still…." Giovanni's boots clicked on the floor of the brothel as he came up to me, face to face. "It was a very reckless move you made, trying to protect your amico with nothing but your fists." He whispered in my ear as he stood shoulder to shoulder with me again. I gave him a surprised look and he merely smiled at me.

"How have you come to have no Maestro, ragazzo?" Paola asked after Giovanni pats my shoulders before circling me, still looking over my form. Apparently he thought I being with Leo was a secret, and it was. So I had to remember to thank him later for keeping it that way. If anyone was to know, then surely Leo would be put in danger. Although I had to admit, being under two older Assassin's scrutiny was a bit nerve racking. Luckily; I thought quickly under pressure.

"My padre taught me to be an Assassin-...," I paused, adding in suspense and a sigh. "Before he decided to disown me and leave me to the streets. He did so after my madre became ill and died; he told me I reminded him to much of her. I sharpened my skill as I aged on the streets, protecting myself." I lied with emotion, fake tears in my eyes, but keep in mind I am an extremely good liar. You get to be so after backstabbing about a hundred different factions. Although it seemed the two older Assassins had bought my story, rather easily. This was unsettling; I barely had to do anything to get them to believe me. Was it that they already trusted me?

Paola seemed to have pitied me for my saddening tale, as she hugged me with tears pricking her eyes, Giovanni just shook his head. This was oddly far too easy, was everyone in this time period soft? "It is a sad day indeed when a child is thrown to the wolves." The elder Assassin quoted as Paola continued to hug against me. I felt slightly disgusted over her pity but her embrace was warm, so I did not fight it.

"What does not kill me makes me stronger, signore." I argued putting strength into the words; I knew this fact was true. Through blood, sweat, and tears you find the real, hard, truth. I was not to be pitied; I was a rogue Assassin for Christ's sake! I killed people as a hobby! Truly though, I didn't know what to think anymore. I was tired and I wanted to rest, literally and metaphorically.

"Touche." Giovanni nodded in agreement. "At these words I will make you an offer. You have been trained to be an Assassin, but your training was not complete. I will help complete your training, if you allow me." Giovanni holds out his hand in question, requesting my devotion to the cause. While years ago I would have spat at that hand, now, I gladly accepted it.

Paola then added, "We could use all the help we can get, the Templars are getting far to close." She explained while she was hugging me from behind, her mouth near my ear. I didn't even flinch. Although I did notice she was a little taller than me. As I shook Giovanni's hand though she backed away from me and went to stand beside him, as an observer and witness to my indoctrination.

"I will accept your offer Giovanni, I am honored you would ask this of me." Me being trained by THE Giovanni Auditore, that was a once in a life time opportunity! I was over flowing with excitement at the idea of training again. The rush of adrenaline, the feel of true purpose; Giovanni had given all of that back to me, and more.

"Well then, you still have not told me your name, ragazzo." The Master Assassin reminded me, addressing the current problem. I stiffened slightly, wondering if it was wise to tell him, but then again, he told me his real name. My eyes looked past the Master in thought, and then dropped to his face again. Yes; I should respect his wishes. I just won't tell him my real name.

"Oh! Si! My name is Alonzo!" I stated excitedly, feigning a jump to my step, as if I hadn't been thinking earlier. I then bowed to him. "I am at your service Maestro." My heart itself jumped as I said that, I had a Master again! I felt myself becoming whole again after so long. I would have to repay Giovanni with my utter devotion as his new student.

At that Giovanni chuckled again, his deep baritone smooth and calm. It really reminded me of my own dad's laugh. "Well then, I will inform the others that I have a new apprendista and I will go look for the equipment you will be needing." He announced, as he began to stride smoothly to the door. "Walk with me Alonzo; we have a few things to discuss." Giovanni then stopped and opened the door for me. The Master Assassin's gaze was focused completely on me as I walked up to him. As his apprentice I was his new center of attention, this could be good or bad, it depended how hard of a teacher he was.

But, before I went through the opened door, I turned to Paola and bowed, "Grazie Madame, I look forward to seeing you again. Peace and safety." Then with that I found myself walking the dark streets of Florence, by Giovanni's side, silent as he spoke to me about the things I would need and about my training to come. Little did I know; that those many nights to come would be like this, peaceful, rigorous, and adventure filled, alongside my new teacher. I was, after all, an Assassin again.

**-X-**

**Edited Ending Notes: **_Sorry, but I can't put up translations this time around. I will next time though! You can figure out everything everyone is saying if you use context clues though, otherwise it's nothing important. But if you want to you can just run it through Google translate, it's no big deal. But I'm really sorry for the inconvenience! So, I think this chapter is much better, no? If you read the original chapters you would remember that this used to be two separate chapters and that there is a lot of missing material. Well I thought that material was stupid and gave too much away! So here is the much better version!_


	3. Usignolo

**Author's Note: **_GARG! I am so sorry I'm late posting this chapter! I meant to post it days ago, then me and my brother started playing RE 5 on the hardest difficulty imaginable and I got so distracted! We did it though; we beat the game using our awesome team work tactical skills! But any who…._

_This will be the first chapter of Shadowed History that has been written here and now. So, it should be considerably better than the others since they were both just edits. I have also found out I made a slip up on some of Leo's info, he never lived with his father, he lived most of his young live in Tuscany. I just read that on Wiki, so my bad to the history fans out there!_

_Another thing; to clear up any confusion: Ezio is 11 in 1470 and Leo is 20. Also, yes, Alonzo will meet 11 year old Ezio. Remember though, Skyler is 18 already, not much younger than Leo. Federico, if my source is correct, is also almost 18._

_Now I'd like to send a special thank you to: __SaYue-San__; who really inspired me with her review! And __Fox Mew Brittany__; who's always there for me! I GIVE THEM COOKIES! INTERNET COOKIES! These cookies may be traded in for requests on this fan-fiction. ^_^_

_Okay, enough of my craziness! Enjoy! _

**Edited Notes: **_Once again my beta was __Fox Mew Brittany__; she pointed out all of my horrible mistakes! -_-' I'm so sorry, I've been in such a hurry lately._

**-X-**

_"Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness."__**-**_**Leonardo da Vinci**

_"There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other. And on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of."_** -Giovanni Auditore**

**-X-**

"**Shadowed History"**

**Chapter 3: **"_Usignolo"_

December 20th, 1471. Florence, Italy. Midnight.

The night was bracing. It was dark and cold, with snow flurries everywhere. The scenery was like a painting; a black canvas with little white dots here and there. Wind would whip through my cloak like a knife, chilling me to the bone. I couldn't stop shaking, the heat leaving my body as fast as I could produce it. The Italian winter was so damn cold, much worse than New York ever was. It felt like my bones were about to shake right out of my body. No matter how much I bundled up I was still cold. It was almost as if the rest of my body didn't believe I was in the middle of Renaissance Italy freezing alive. So, therefore, I could not adapt to the weather. My body was basically calling my brain a liar, _damn_.

Actually, though, I was staring up at the stars as snow landed on me. A hobby I had started and quickly became addicted to. The clouds were just thin enough to where I could see the North Star shining brilliantly. It glowed a beautiful blue color and radiated white. Snow landed on my nose and eye lashes, coloring _me_ white, my cheeks a bright red. White wisps came from my lips as I breathed out into the dark winter sky. I don't know if it was just me or not, but night always seemed darker in the winter.

My boots crunched against the snow below my feet. The sound echoed through the silence of the dark. I felt like taking flight in the darkness, my wings itching to get out. My legs felt restless underneath me as snow just fell and fell around me. The blanket of white innocence covered Italy at this time, all of the trespassers of that innocence hiding in their warm shells. Let the dogs sleep in their warmth, as they lay dormant, for while they do the snow birds will fly free.

I smiled, my hood covering my green eyes. My hair had grown longer in the past year, but so too did I grow. I felt like Italy was changing me, my cold icy heart melting at Giovanni's teachings. I was becoming sentimental and soft. I felt…._good_. Everything felt right, warm in its simplicity. The world had grown because I had grown, and with that growth, my skills had changed. While a year ago my talents had been running, hiding away from the real danger, and never sticking my neck out for others. Now my talents were opposites; now I would do anything to protect Leo and Giovanni. They had become my family, and I gladly fought beside them. Being with them made me feel warm, being with Giovanni made me feel safe.

I wasn't Skyler Ash anymore; I was one hundred percent Alonzo now. I was a changed person, and for the better. When one's mind set changes, so does the world around them. Italy had grown more beautiful and amazing as each day passed. Now, a year later; she was the most magnificent thing I've ever seen. She shined at night like no other city, like no other place in time. During the spring she was in full bloom, during the winter she was full of everything. Lights that lined the streets of Florence were not lite during the winter, due to the extreme cold, everyone stayed inside during the night.

So to a Nightingale like me, that had snow bird feathers, this was perfect. The winter nights in Florence; they were my nights. They were the nights when everything was completely dark and devoid of life. Not a sound was made; the only thing you could hear was the echo of my feet on the ground and my breath towards the sky. These were my nights, when Florence belonged to me and me alone. These were my nights to train in stealth, the perfect moments to test how little noise I could make with my movements. These were my nights to meditate under the moon's glow and the sky's caress of snowy cold fingers.

The snow melted from my eyelashes, the cold water streamed its way down my cheek and dripped onto the streets. I felt so warm in the cold, so ready to move, so ready to do my part as an Assassin. Nights like these were perfect for Nightingales with snowy feathers, perfect to sneak up on rabid dogs while they sleep, and take the blade to them, so that they wake no more. These were my nights to shine, to show my skills, to prove Giovanni's rigorous training was not going to waste.

These Florentine winter nights belonged to me; the Nightingale with snowy feathers.

"_I will wander 'till the end of time; torn away from you." _I sang in English as my feet went flying, letting my feathers out. I raced my way down the streets, the crunching of snow under my boots echoing throughout the endless night. The darkness was perfect, my eyes adjusting to where I could see everything. Here in this time the darkness was so clean, where I came from the darkness is soured by the smell of death and drugs. There was never silence in the darkness where I came from, but here the darkness was innocent.

I ran and ran and ran, until my hands scrambled up the side of the building, climbing. One hand after another, grabs, holds, and jumps. Then I was on the snow covered rooftops, that metal and snow under my feet now, my boots crunching. But even though the snow should make me slip, I do not falter. An Assassin with a true heart never falters, for with my wings, I can fly.

"_I pulled away to brace the pain; I closed my eyes and drift away." _I whispered the song with my voice; I whispered it into the ear of the night. The Night graced me with no echo and remained silent as she listened to my voice_. "Over the fear; that I will never find a way to heal my soul. And I will wander 'till the end of time, torn away from you!" _The darkness stretched on forever as I flexed my wings, soaring from rooftop to rooftop. The feel of cold cold air heating my cheeks as I flew, the burn felt good, the sting kept me from closing my eyes in bliss.

When I reached a tall building, more like a tower, I scaled it. It was a very small tower compared to the others in Florence, but this was good enough for me. One hand after another, the holds tricky, making me jump from side to side, but finally I made it. I found myself at the top, looking up into the moon brightened midnight sky. The North Star shined and glowed, showing travelers the way home at such a cold night. It made me feel longful, to see that star. My father was the first one to ever show me that star.

"_If you ever get lost, look up. That's the North Star Skyler, see it? It shines brighter than any other star in the sky. It shines that way for travelers, wanderers, helping them to always find their way back home."_

If only I had seen the North Star that night I had left Denver. Maybe I would be home right now, with my father. But then I would have never met Giovanni or Leonardo, I have truly began to care for them, and I am heartbroken at the thought of never seeing them again. I am heartbroken at the idea of never seeing such a peaceful perfect night. So maybe, just maybe, I was meant to be here. It was my destiny to screw up, be an idiot, and end up here. I gripped my heart tenderly, the black cloak ruffled in my hand as I sniffled. One day I'd see my father again, and when that time came, I would be a daughter he could be proud of. Redemption was a hard and long road, but beyond worth it for a sinner's heart.

"_My heart is broken; sweet sleep, my dark angel. Deliver us from sorrow's hold; over my heart." _I twirled around and danced on that tower's roof. As I did the snow began to fall heavier. It blanketed the rooftop and my shoulders. I looked up to that North Star again and my face was covered in snow, it melted off and felt like tears were falling down my face. _"I can't go on living this way; but I can't go back the way I came." _The snow just kept falling, and where I should have felt cold I was warm. My icy heart had melted in the year I had spent here, surrounded by incredible people, and by a beautiful city. _"Chained to the fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul; and I will wander 'till the end of time, half alive without you."_

This melody, those words, had become my song after I left Denver. The longer I stayed away the worst things got. I had sold and delivered weapons to teenagers half my age. I had handed over their death sealed warm. An ugly blackness had curled up inside of me, getting bigger and bigger, the more death I sold. Hundreds of kids were killed on the streets by the guns I hand delivered, and when the shooting started, I had hid away and counted my money. I had used my training for such evil things. But now that blackness was gone, I had my wings again, and this time no one would clip them.

I was a Nightingale with snowy feathers, and this was my song. How strange that that song makes me feel so remorseful now, so wrong. Yet, I sing it anyway, even though I had come to hate how it made me feel. The melody was a reminder of who I was, the words a reminder of what I had done. It was still my song, chained to me for forever. So I sang it, I sang it into the darkness of the night, so that its meaning might echo. So that I never forget my mistakes and so that I remember how long the road of my redemption really is.

But now; _now_ this Nightingale had a job to do.

I leaned over the side of the tower and looked down. There was a hay bale down below the tower; it was covered in snow, and some of its pieces frozen. But I smiled anyway; this was really when I could fly. When I jumped from that tower, letting my arms out like wings, and dived into the _Pit_; that was when I could truly use my feathers. The movement was so graceful as my hood was pulled back by the wind and my hair was tousled. Everything swooshed past me in a blur, snowflakes seemed so slow as they fell from the sky beside me. Too many people were terrified by falling, but I wonder why these people didn't realize that falling was as close to flying as humans would ever get. They should let go of their fears and feel the rush.

I landed in the hay with a bit of a bounce, than shot up through it onto my feet. I brushed myself off silently before making my way to my target. The man's name was Hugo Montreal; Captain of the guard. He was not captain of the city guard though; he was captain of the Templar guards, which were run by an unknown man. Giovanni had been looking into it; he did not know who the Maestro of the Templar Order was yet. I do, but, _butterfly effect_. So I had to keep my mouth shut.

My mission was to interrogate this Guard Captain and see what he knows. This was not my first lone mission, so I know what I'm doing. Along the year Giovanni had been giving me small missions here and there, and he took me along with him on some of his larger missions. It had been a challenge to keep up with the man. Originally I had thought this would be easy, since I was an already trained Assassin, but clearly the Assassins of this era are much more skilled than the ones of the future. Assassins in the future depend upon guns more than anything else; this has made us slow and sloppy. Guns are ungraceful and untactful. They make you lazy and lower your senses considerably. So when Giovanni raised his blade to me and we began to train, I saw a grand difference between his skills and my father's.

Here if I had relied on the skills I had been originally taught at home; I'd be dead the moment I sat foot in a real fight against the guards. Giovanni had already saved me many times, and at that alone I owe him my life. But after the year of training I had went through, I was considerably better, but still nowhere near Giovanni's level. I looked forward to the day that I can look Giovanni in the eyes as equals. That day will be a great one!

My boots made quick crunching noises as I made my way down an alleyway. I climbed up the side of the building quickly and stealth-fully. The next house over was actually a guard station. There were many guard stations lining Florence, the way you could tell was by the banners on the walls of the housing. Each guard station had two levels; the first level was regularly used as a Mess Hall and meeting area for the garrison of that housing. The second story was used for sleep and bunk beds. The Captain of the Guard would usually take the best bed in the housing, which was located next to the outer most windows to the right of the second story.

I stood on the building across the way of the guard station. I eyed the inside of it, picking out detail after detail. Night was not the best for analyzing a target, I knew that, so what I had done was dress as a beggar and infiltrated the guard housing during the day. Citizens were allowed in the guard housing if they were lodging a complaint or reporting a crime. As a crazy beggar I reported that many other guards had been brutally murdered a few streets away. Well, that got everyone of the guard up and running out of the station. After that I analyzed the building then got the Hell out of Dodge. I'm sure they would have been pissed at me had I been there when they got back; since I made the whole thing up. I suppose I could have killed some guards along the way, but it was too much extra trouble.

This was the way the Informants of my time did the job. Sneak in, take a few pictures, get a blue print, and sneak out. In the future there were no courtesans, thieves, or mercenaries. There were four classifications of Assassins in the future. Historians; they did historical research about area's and people. They were really the teachers of the Assassin Brotherhood. Then there were the Techies. The name explains it; they dealt with all the tech and mechanics of any base. Then there were the Informants; the spies of The Order, they gathered info for any Assassin about to make a kill. Usually Informants are partnered with Assassins, so each Assassin has their own Informant. Lastly; it's the Assassins of the Assassin Order. You already know what they do. This system was started in order to keep, _well_, order. Some couldn't kill but knew computers, some couldn't kill, didn't know computers, but could eavesdrop like there was no tomorrow.

But in this day and age, an Assassin has to get their own info, or get it from the thieves. Since thieves hate the cold and I don't know where their guild is here in Florence, I had to get the information myself. It wasn't too much of a hassle. I had been taught the basics of Informants by a friend of mine back in Denver; _Bailey_. He ended up being one of the best students of Information Gathering there was that year at the Denver base. I knew all along he had it in him. He's another person I miss though, one of the only really close friends I had in Denver. Bailey had grown up to be a looker too; I knew this because he found me in New York once. He gave chase, I ran. I didn't think about it then, since I didn't think about anything back then, but I bet all he wanted to do was talk. I had thought for sure he was there to kill me. But the past was the past; there was nothing I could do about it now. If anything, I could do what I needed to, and hope one day I could apologize to him.

For now though, I had a job to do.

I leapt, flying over the abyss between buildings, and landed on top of the guard station roof. I walked over to the edge, the right side of the building, and gently slid down. I grabbed the tops of the widow seal and looked in. All the dogs were asleep, snoring peacefully in their warm beds. There, closest to the window I was hanging from, was Hugo; the Guard Captain. Now to begin my plan! I let go of the window seal and fell, landing gracefully on my feet on the street below. The snow had stopped falling and the snow on the streets was getting thinner by the minute. The crunching noise under my boots was considerably lessened as I made my way around the housing.

'_Sneaky, sneaky.' _I silently laughed at my own thoughts as I made my way up to the first floor door, which led inside the guard station. I put my hand on the handle of the oak door and jiggled it. I then, slowly and gently, turned the knob. I didn't know if locks existed yet, but if they did, this door did not have one. I made my way inside the dark room, the wind pushing the door in further. I closed the door behind me, there was resistance behind the movement thanks to said wind, but I was able to close it silently.

Inside the dark room of the first floor was a table, a large long table. It was covered in dirty dishes and silver ware, the rest of the room was in just as much of a mess. I _'tsked'_ with the click of my tongue, nodding my head back and forth. _'This place needs a woman's touch.' _I walked over layers of trash and gunk, finding bones of dead things here and there. That's when the smell hit me, and I nearly recoiled at how strong it was. _'It's a good thing I'm here.' _I smirked, holding my nose. God, the smell was horrible! But I waded through the smell and trash of the first story room so that I could get to the fireplace at the far side. It was pretty damn disgusting in there though. I wanted to gag.

After sliding through all of the garbage, I made my way to the fireplace. It was the type of fireplace you'd expect in an Italian home. It had expensive looking designs carved into the base above the fire, but its expensive design was not what I cared about. What was inside was what I cared about. The fire inside the fireplace was burning brightly, logs of firewood mounted on top of each other, burning. This was what I cared about, the fire. All it took to set a wooden house like this one on fire was one spark. So that's what I did, I took a stick from my pocket, and held it over the fire. When the stick was also covered in fire I threw it onto the wooden table, it was merely a minute before the entire table also caught on fire.

This was the moment I opened the window on the first floor and made my exit. I ran around the corner of the housing and back into the alleyway underneath the right side window of the second floor. I watched as the first story of the building went up in flames, it took five to ten minutes before the whole of the first floor was on fire, but when it was I began to hear screams coming from the guards in the station. They all began to panic, trying to put out the fire.

'_Burn, baby, burn.'_ I smiled evilly, it almost ending up a sneer. But as I waited in the shadow of the alleyway, my plans came to fruition. I knew the mind set of greedy men; them first, everyone else in far second. So when the Captain of the Guard came scrambling out his window, leaving his underlings in the fire to die, I can safely admit that that had been my plan all along. I found myself waiting for the guard captain, as he scurried his cowardice ass right to me. It was like creating a maze; I knew exactly where the mouse was going to come out at.

The man; Hugo, tripped over himself in escape. He wore no shirt and very thin pants, his uniform nowhere on him. Most likely he had heard the screams, smelled the smoke, and jumped out the window before he even had time to get dressed. Now his bare feet slid into the snow, slowly getting hypothermia. How like men with greed in their heart and barely any soul, so quick to leave everything behind to save their own skin. I was like that once, but no more. The guard captain was shivering and trembling so heavily, fear in his eyes that he might have been burned alive, that he didn't notice me, hiding in the dark. As he walked, or trudged really, he just kept getting closer to me; until he stopped and turned to behold the guard housing. He was inches away from me and within my grasp now. Just like a little lamb led to the slaughter.

I reached out and grabbed his shoulder; I didn't even give him time to jump, before pulling him back and planting him firmly into the snow. My rapier touched his nose and he gulped, his body now trembling due to more than just the cold. He looked like he was about to piss himself, not being used to being on this side of the sword. A little trickle of blood left the tip of his nose as I looked down at him like a predator playing with prey. I was the Nightingale, he was the mouse.

"If you value your life," I moved the tip of the sword, scraping his skin in the process, before making the tip meet his heart. His eyes widened in terror, his skin slick due to sweat. I made my voice as low and intimidating as possible, I think I did a good job. "You will tell me all about your Maestro, Templar dog." I spat on him, my words full of venom. He tried to scramble away, but the more he moved the more I pushed down on the sword. He winced at the pain, blood bloomed from the small cut, but he knew I could go much much deeper.

"H-his…..n-name….-"He paused to gulp down air. His mouth most likely dry from the tension. His brown eyes looked up to me, calling and begging for mercy. I had no mercy to give to the likes of him. His skin was tan from days in the sun; his physique was like that of a board, no muscle. It meant he was lazy, let his subordinates do all of the work. His hair was a mop. He was just like the rest of the rabid dogs, bark no bite. "I-is…Rod-rodrigo….Bor-borgia." He stuttered, not doing well under pressure, as he tried to get the name out. "He-he's stationed in Roma! That's all I know, I swear!" His voice was pleading, he betrayed his master so that he might live. How pathetic, why live the life of a traitor, I know I couldn't stand it.

"Buon cane." I mocked, that evil smile on my face again. In one swift motion my blade went through his heart, leaving the man gasping for breath through the blood over flowing his mouth. It was seconds before he died, blood spreading and soaking into the innocent snow. Snow soaked in blood; it is dark and red, far from innocent. The darkness was like a disease, it spread and spread, corrupting even the innocent. It was just a matter of time.

I watched the blood pool below the man, deep in thought. I have seen so much blood in my life, the blood shed never ends in this war. My father once believed that the war between the Assassins and Templars would end, that we would win, and that when that happened there would be peace. Now that I stare into the power the Templars possess I am not so sure. All I'd ever seen was darkness and non-stop fighting throughout my life. I want to believe that somewhere along the line there will be peace, but it's just so hard _to_ believe. Then there was the fact I knew Giovanni's fate, I knew in six more years Rodrigo Borgia would come and have Uberto hang Giovanni. I fisted my hands; I didn't want that to happen. Six years though, six years was a long time. Maybe, maybe just this once I could butterfly effect history. _Maybe_.

I had made the snow lose its innocence, I looked up to the sky, and now the darkness was no longer silent. Screams from burning men filled the air, smoke climbing up to pollute the sky. I had destroyed the perfect winter night, even after singing and the echo being silenced. I could no longer see the North Star, but I still wandered. This night I would not find my way home.

I was a Nightingale with snowy feathers; whose wings had always been speckled with blood.

**-X-**

November 18th, 1470. Florence, Italy.

Fall in Florence was refreshing. All of the trees near the river lost their leafs; oranges and reds attacking the ground in a flurry of motions. The afternoons were full of cool breezes and fresh scents. The days were no longer humid but a mild temperature. It rained every once in a while and the ground stayed moist and cool. The night skies were usually clear and the days were calm and relaxing. That is; unless you're an Assassin in training.

While I was able to notice these wonderful things about Italy and my surroundings, I did not get time to indulge in them. November was Leo's busy season, after being awarded the title of Maestro by the Guild of Saint Luke he had been receiving request after request for commissions by the people of Florence. One of these commotion requests came directly from the House of Auditore, I was very surprised to see this, but had to keep a blank face when surprised. I couldn't let Leo know what I was doing during the night. What do you think the artist's reaction would be if he knew his precious innocent Alonzo was training to be a killer for the greater good? He'd scold me like a child.

"Alonzo!" Leonardo called, his voice drifting in through the arch way leading to what I had designated the kitchen. I had been washing dishes in the closest thing I could call a sink. Leonardo was working on another piece of commission work across the hall in his work shop. I stopped and felt a shiver up my spine, one of the windows having been left opened. But just as Leo called me; a leaf, red in tint and color, dropped in through the window.

Suddenly, I forgot Leo had called me, and I watched the leaf dance in awe. It weaved and waved in and out of the wind as it slowly fell toward me. I felt hypnotized by its mystic motions. My green eyes followed its every move. Then it landed perfectly, gently, on the tip of my nose. I stood completely still, entranced by the fact something so mysterious and unspeakable had just happened. The leaf stood stalk still on the tip of my nose, not moving. I just watched it, curious. I felt something so peaceful inside of me at this sight, like a fuzzy warmness, I couldn't help but smile.

"Alo-" Leo showed up the arch way then, my gaze drifted toward him, but I did not move. He stood there, surprise written onto his features as he leaned one arm against the wall. "Perfecto!" Suddenly Leo's face lit up with a huge smile, his voice high pitch in tone. His eyes glittered with excitement. "Stay completely still Ash, uno momento!" He then ran right back out of the arch way. I could hear him rummaging around in his work shop, as things were crashing and falling. His work shop was always such a mess.

Moments later he was back with a chair, the closest thing to a pencil that existed in this era, and a sketch pad. He started sketching then, his thumb up as he analyzed my posture. My eyebrows furrowed, having told him a hundred times I didn't want to be sketched. But before I could say anything he caught me off guard.

"Please, signorina Ash. Stay still, and look at the leaf like you did before I came in." Leo stated, he slightly pleaded, looking up at me with his blue puppy dog eyes. I opened my mouth to say something again but he interrupted me. "I have never seen such a beautiful smile before." I paused, a breath caught in my throat.

"_Hey Skyler, you should smile more often. I think your smile is beautiful."_

Tears threatened to fall as I heard the light voice in the back of my memory. But as I saw Leo's big blue eyes, that smile came back to me. He could be such a child some times. So I did, I looked back up at the leaf with that relaxed contented smile on my face. "Perfecto! Grazie signorina Ash." Leo yelled before he started to sketch me out. I listened to his chalk meet paper and the lines he carved out. To think the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci was drawing me. I wondered how it would look, if maybe I should have tried to look better this morning. But this was Leo, everything he painted was incredible.

It just so happened that today I wasn't wearing my cap. My short auburn hair was just at my shoulders now and my face had yet to take any scaring to it. So I guess I looked okay, mirrors were hard to come by here, so I had no idea. I stood there and thought about many different things as Leo sketched me. It was a while before he was done and got up from his stool, holding the sketch book in his hands, analyzing the drawing with bright eyes. Since I thought he was done I picked up the leaf from my nose and walked over to him. Before I could see the drawing he hid it behind his back.

"Ah-uh, signorina Ash, you can't see it until it is complete!" He '_tsked'_ me, waving his finger back and forth in front of my face. I pouted, crossing my arms as I glared at him. He just smiled and left the room before I could say anything. I just sighed and shrugged, I guessed I'd just have to wait.

After that I finished the dishes and put my cap on. I had had it sitting on the table beside me the whole time, thinking I didn't need it while doing dishes. I stepped out through the arch way, my hands in my pockets, as I walked into Leo's work shop. I found him putting up the sketch in his chest beside his desk. That chest held all of the sketches he did every day, and trust me when I say, he at least sketched one thing every day. The man was a morning person; he rose with the birds and sketched the first one he saw every morning. Then if we went into town he'd sketch people, places, and things. I'd always have to sit and wait for him to finish. But as they say, practice makes perfect.

"Signorina!" Leo called as I seemed to be stalled in thought at the entry way. I shook my head and walked down the steps into his work shop. The man was at his desk, writing something down on a piece of paper. I walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. He was writing down an address, the Auditore House's address. That shiver went up my spine again. What would Giovanni think of his apprentice delivering his wife art? I sighed. There was no pleasing every one. "Here." Leo handed me the address and got up. I moved out of his way as he went to pick up a box of paintings.

"I finally finished all of Signorina Maria Auditore's requests! She had quite a few!" Leo announced in explanation. He brought the box of paintings over to his desk, sitting the box down; he took a deep breath. The box seemed to be heavy to him; I furrowed my brows again at the man. To which he shrugged and embarrassedly rubbed the back of his head. I had spoken to him before about getting stronger, but he just wasn't the macho man type. It didn't matter, Leo would always be Leo. I liked him the way he was. "So, could you take these to her? I still have quite a few other things to finish here." He then sat back down at his desk and took out a quill. It seemed it was time for him to write down his schedule, he did that every once in a while, just so it was easier to stay organized.

I nodded. _"No problem."_ There, I did it again, spoke in English. I reprimanded myself, slapping my palm to my forehead and shaking it. Leonardo raised a brow at me, confused. I sighed in exasperation and shook my head some more. "I'll take care of it Maestro." I finally said as I picked up the box, Leo shrugged and nodded his head. He then started diligently writing things down, going over other things in his head. So, I speculated it was time for me to leave.

While delivering things I was finally able to really see the scenery of Florence in fall. It was a beautiful sight and would forever remind me of the leaf that landed on my nose that morning. That same leaf was carefully stashed away in my pocket at this very moment. I thought it would make a good memento, the first day I smiled. _Well_, the first day I smiled again, without that smile being full of pain or sadness, hollow and wordless. It had been a very long time since I felt good enough to smile like that.

People passed by me along the street and said good afternoon, in Italian obviously. People here were so much friendlier in cooler weather. It was not extremely warm like it usually was around here, but I had also heard that it got extremely cold during the winter. I looked forward to it; the idea of seeing snow. Snow always reminded me of my home; Denver. It was almost always snowing in Denver, high in the mountains. The Denver Assassin Base was located on a peak too, and if you didn't know where to look for it you couldn't find it. That was the secret of hiding a base from Templars; without Assassin know-how, you can't find it.

Things had calmed down considerably since my first week here, it had been two months now, and I finally felt like I was settling in. I had gotten my own room in the work shop; it used to be a storage room but now it had a cot, some drawers, and a place for a bowl of water to sit. The room was on the second story of the work shop, like Leo's own room, and I had my very own window too! Said window was the one I would usually sneak out of to escape to the training I had at night. The drawers in the room were now full of clothes I had bought with the money Leo paid me weekly. It was not much, but I wasn't interested in expensive clothes anyway. I had the necessities now, I did however, miss my tooth brush. If there was anything I was considering inventing ahead of schedule it was a tooth brush. But for my hygienic needs I had to get a little creative and just use what I could find. Things could have been worse; I could have ended up in an era that didn't know what the word hygiene meant.

It was a few minutes before I ended up at the Auditore's palazzo. It was a huge and grand house, far bigger than one of my time would imagine. Bigger than a house, a little smaller than a mansion, but it resembled a castle. This was the house of a nobleman, and with built in bathrooms to-boot! I would give my left arm to live in a place with a bathroom right now. Leo's small two story work shop was the housing of a humble under-paid artist. I think later, when he becomes better known, he'll get a better place to live. Or I'd move in with Giovanni, whichever came first.

I found myself in front of his door now, unsure whether to knock or not. What would he think about my day job? Wasn't he a banker during the day? How much difference could there be between me being an assistant and him a banker? However, I didn't get the chance to make that decision. The door was opened before I could knock, my fisted hand still in the air. Little golden chocolate eyes greeted me from within the shadow of the doorway. It was a boy, a little boy half my height. His hair was brown and long but not long enough for a ponytail and he wore expensive clothes. His face though, he was basically like a little teddy bear. He was just so cute! A future heartbreaker and trouble maker if I ever did see one.

"Who are you?" The little boy tilted his head, his hair swooshing with the movement. His eyes glistened, he was a curious one. His hands stayed on the door knob of the door, ready to slam it in my face if he didn't deem me worthy.

I bowed my head to the boy; he was after all, an Auditore, a son to my teacher. Respect was a very important aspect of being an Assassin. We respected each other, the dead, and we especially respected our enemies. If you did not respect your enemies than surely they would see right through your arrogance. We Assassins are not an arrogant lot; history has taught us a great many things. Like if you're an asshole you're gonna die, and die bloody.

"My name is Alonzo." I answered, greeting the boy lightly. "I have some paintings for Signorina Auditore. Is she in?" I tried to sound polite but my fake masculine Italian accent did not come with such a setting. Luckily I didn't sound rude either. It was about even.

The boy eyed me where I stood, then he looked at the paintings in the box I was holding, then he looked up at me again. But as he did this I noticed something odd. The boy's eyes had gone from brown to pure gold, and they were lightly glowing. I raised my brow at this; did this kid actually have some hidden Assassin abilities? I heard about them once. There are two different bloodlines that held two different abilities. I only knew about Eagle Vision though, because Lucas knew and Lucas had told me. Lucas told me a lot of things actually. He was the main Historian at the Denver Base, he taught all of the young Novices different things. But he bugged me especially because my father was the _Master_ of the Denver Base.

The boy narrowed his eyes at me, and then turned to look over his shoulder. "Madre! There's some strange ragazzo here to see you!" Apparently the boy hadn't paid attention to the fact I was just delivering paintings to Maria. There was no reason to yell about my appearance, it's not like I was here to rob the place! I fisted my one loose hand and glared at the boy while he wasn't looking.

'_Stupid monello!' _I thought as Maria came to the door, smiling at her son. He looked at her with sparkling eyes and an innocent disposition. Even though he had just analyzed me with a killer's ability and called me strange for no reason! _'Stupid stupid stupid monello! I am not strange!' _I felt my anger go through me like a flame.

"Oh! Thank you Ezio, now how about you go play with you bambino sister? Uh?" Maria prompted the boy, pushing him lightly aside from the door as she smiled. The boy nodded and ran back into the house, running past where I could see him. That flame of anger was put out by a giant cold down pour of rain called realization.

That little _monello_ was THE Ezio Auditore? The ruggish good looking guy in the painting above Lucas' desk that I had seen every day for sixteen years straight? Oh boy, I was so screwed. I felt light headed and like I was about to fall over. _'How could….? What? But….? WHAT?' _I was so very confused.

"Oh! Alonzo! How nice to see you!" Maria regarded me with a knowing smile as she greeted me. "Why don't you come in, I am sure Giovanni would be happy to see you." She opened the door wider and allowed me to come in. This was not the first time I had been inside the Auditore Manor, the first time was a few weeks ago, when Giovanni asked an old friend of his to size me for my Assassin robes. At first I argued about this, my cloak was good enough, or so I had thought. But Giovanni said his first apprentice deserved the best. Soon his first born son, Federico, would be old enough to train in the Assassin ways as well and would by my partner in training. So I was surprised to hear him put up such a fuss for me instead of his son. I welcomed the idea of having someone to spare with though.

"Here, Alonzo, put that box over here." Maria pointed to a corner beside the large twin staircases in the middle of the room. I did so and stood, straitening my back and popping my shoulders. I stood straight and looked around in awe of the room. That's when I heard young voices. I turned my head a little bit and saw that little boy; Ezio and a very young, a baby matter of fact, girl with him beyond the arch way. Ezio was playing gently with what I believe to be his baby sister. I smiled warmly at the sight; I knew one day he would be very protective of that sister of his. No, it wasn't in the history books; I could just see it in his eyes.

"Oh, Alonzo!" Maria called to me again and I turned around quickly to meet her gaze. Maria knew who Giovanni was and was a very proud wife of an Assassin. She was blunt, tough, and smart. I admired her greatly, she was a great woman. So, obviously she knew who I was and treated me accordingly. "Why don't you stay for dinner? It is almost ready." She smiled at me drying her hands with the apron tied around her waist.

I felt my face contort in panic. My brows rose and a shiver rose up my spine. I pointed a finger at myself and looked at her disbelievingly. "Who? Me?" My voice had rose a few octaves as my entire body quivered. Me? At the same dinner table as not only my teacher but that monello I would most likely one day have to bow to? I don't think so. One little slip up and I'd never hear the end of it.

"Yes you." Maria nodded and laughed lightly, thinking I was joking. I was not. "Matter of fact, I will not take no for an answer! You look like a starved cat, you're far too skinny!" She pointed out, sounding like your stereotypical Italian mother. "Stay here, dinner is almost finished." She ordered as she went back into what you could call the kitchen of this era.

I visibly paled, letting out a long drawn out sigh. _'Well, fuck me.'_

**-X-**

**Author's Note (More like apology): **_I'm so sorry! This sucked, didn't it! OH I'M SO SORRY! There wasn't even a training session on here! AAAAAHHHHH! CRAP! But I promise there will be next chapter! I just really wanted to point out the skill difference that will occur over the years. I really wasn't successful in that was I? SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! I'll make it all better next chapter! Promise!_

_So R&R? Tell me how horrible this was. Any request for certain character appearances?_

_I will tell you next chapter, other than a really embarrassing dinner scene, there will be training with the thieves. Alonzo/Skyler will meet La Volpe for the first time and he'll even go by a different name. Not too different though. La Volpe will be about 20, 'cause there is no birth info for him on Wiki so I'm making him around 30 when he meets Ezio for the first time and 40 or so when he goes back to Rome. Sound good?_

**Translations:**

_Monello- brat_

_Signorina- Miss_

_Buon cane- Good dog_

_Usignolo- Nightingale_

_Madre- mother_

_Ragazzo- boy_

_Grazie- thank you_

_Bambino- baby_

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"**Dog Days of Post-Paradise"**


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